A little after 9:30 Monday night, an off-duty Mesquite police officer was driving southbound on IH-635 near La Prada Drive when a car pulled up behind him and began flashing red, orange and yellow lights. The officer, who was in his own car, pulled over and waited for the driver to get out and approach. But he never did. Instead, he drove off.

At that point, the Mesquite officer knew he'd been pulled over by a "police impersonator," per Lt. Bill Hedgpeth, spokesman for the department.

The real officer followed the phony one down 635. He also dialed 911. But the off-duty officer lost the suspect near Buckner Boulevard and Chenault Street.

According to Hedgpeth, the suspect vehicle more or less looked like the real thing: It was an older-model white Ford Crown Victoria. But it had temporary paper plates and no wheel covers. And, says the spokesman, "There were no markings or insignia on the vehicle, and there were no exterior emergency lights."

But identifying the suspect may be difficult, per Hedgpeth: "There is no driver description."